A unique moment in a couple's life, the wedding is a long-planned event. Its organization involves a lot of consideration on topics like location, outfit, guests list, invitations and music. Gone are the days of traditional indoor weddings. Many couples choose nowadays picturesque settings for their most romantic ceremony.

Less than half an hour drive away from "America's Finest City" and about 200 km from Los Angeles, La Jolla is one of the most popular choices with Californians. Indeed, this quaint village tucked between the cliffy Torrey Pines plateaus, Mount Soledad, and a long line of sandy beaches, caressed by the temperamental Pacific waters, provides a variety of scenery to cater for all tastes and personality types.

The only difficulty you will encounter after establishing La Jolla as your outdoor wedding location will refer to making up your mind and choosing between an informal beach themed wedding, a sumptuous ceremony in a Victorian landscaped garden, or a charming countryside vineyard wedding.

Beach weddings

Also called the jewel of San Diego, La Jolla displays a spectacular shoreline dotted by seven beaches, from secluded cloves surrounded by rocky cliffs to wide stripes of sand perfectly suitable for family getaways.

Beach Wedding in Ka Jolla - Flickr/Elle.G

If you are up for a "toes in the sand" wedding, you have a wide range of options. If you want gliders and surfers as your main décor, Black's Beach is the place you are looking for. However, be aware that the access to this strip of sand surrounded by majestic cliffs can be rather difficult. Although less spectacular in point of scenery, La Jolla Shores, Windansea and Marine Street Beach are much suitable wedding ceremonies locations as they are closer to the residential and commercial area of the town.

Park Weddings

A grassy platform overlooking the beach, the Wedding Bowl situated in Cuvier Park is the top wedding ceremony location in San Diego area. Able to house up to 40 guests, Cuvier Park also saves you the trouble of having to deal with too much sand. Book a dusk hour if you want the dramatic ocean views in the sunset colors to be the background of your unique moment.

Cuvier Park Wedding - Flickr/Jon Henderson

However, if you did not pick the winning ticket at the lottery organized on an annual basis for Saturday weddings in Cuvier Park, there is no reason for desperation. The beachfront Ellen Browning Scripps, Kellog and Calumet Parks are all wider than the Wedding Bowl and you will still benefit from a sweeping shoreline setting.

These are just a few top picks out of the rich collection of scenic wedding locations that La Jolla has to offer. Plenty of hotels that border the coastline become home to outdoor and indoor ceremonies. The Sheraton has some exquisite tropical gardens, while the Museum of Contemporary Art hosts different types of events all year round on its sumptuous terraces and reception halls overlooking the ocean or in the intimate Pacific Union Pocket Park.